Method of cementing wells



July 5, 1932- c. E. JACKSON ET AL 1,866,522

METHOD OF CEMENTING WELLS K Filed April 13, 1951 l yE -f,

| i 4 QN MIX i I A 4 r (d cQEJAcKsoN .ramadan-1i s. 1932 ,UNITED STATI-:s

PARENT opl- 1C application mea .april 1a,

- Our invention relates to cementingzcasing in deep wells of oil, gas, water and the like. In equipping a well which has been drilled to the proper formation, it is common to set 5 a casing in the well and then cement the space between the lower end of the casing and the wall of the well so as to prevent water from above the producing sands from flowing down into the well. This cementing is usually accomplished with Portland cement or some similar ty of cement which must be forced ,into position at 'the bottom of the casing and then allowed to stand-for a period of several days in order to allow the cement to harden.

If it is'later desirable tov withdraw the casing from the well, it is practically impossible to remove the casing from the cement.

Itis an object of our invention to provide a method of cementing wells whereby lthe cementin operation may be performed more easil an che'a ly than in the old method and whic allowse casing to be withdrawn if desired. V

We desire touse a material for cementing the well which may be melted-under temperatures somewhat above atmospheric temperature so as to 'flow into positionl at the bottom 30 of the casing and close the space about the casing within the well and -in r'which the movement of the cement into proper position may be accomplished almost entirely by a5 .grIn .t e drawing herewith, Fig; `1 is a central longitudinal section through theflower end of awell casing equipped for carrying out our invention.

Fig. 2 is a' central longitudinal section showing the cement in position and illustrating a tylpe of heating element which may beemploye Fig. 3 isasection similar to that shown in completed.

Incarrying out our invention we contemplate employmg as a cementing agent sulphur,- asphalt 'or other similar material, which ma be deposited upon the pipeor 5 casingA be ore it is introduced into. the well opening 11 1931. Serial No. 529,582.

and later melted so as toilow into the proper position. The agent which we particularly prefer for this process is sulphur for the reason that it is a good cementing agent and acts to close off the space about the casing at the lower end in a proper and satisfactory man. ner and will penetrate the vformation about the casing so as to form a satisfactory seal.

In Fig. 1 we have shown a casing which is of ordinary tubular' construction, the lower end of which is threaded internally to ref ceive a bull plug or nipple 3. This plug may be provided with openings 4, therein to allow the entrance of fluid to the casing while it is being lowered into the well. It is understood, of course, that-in shallow wells where it is desired to float the casing into the well,.the perforations in the bull plug may be omitted. Where the plug is perforated we contemplate depositing upon the casing l an inl terior layer of sulphur 5. Said layer will be of s'uiiicient thickness to provide a. quantity of sulphur to cement the lower end of the casing. Thisinterior layer is supplemented by an outer layer 6 deposited upon the pipe in any suitable manner. We contemplate covering the pipe with sulphur in th1s mannerfor a height suicient so that when the mass.

.of sulphur is melted it will be suilicient in' quantity to fill the lower end of the well to S0- the deslred height. There' is an opening-.11 centrallyof the pipe when thus equipped 'which is sulicient to allow a heating element tobe introduced downwardly therein.

In Fig. 2 we have shown a heating element 7 which ma'y be of any ordinary construction and housedwithin an outer casing. Said element is suspended by a cable 8 extending upwardly to the surface. Electrical connections'v shown at 9 extend from the-heating element to a source of electric energy at the surface.

When our invention is put in execution the casing will be s et upon the bottom ofthe well Fig. 2 illustrating the cementlng operation approximately as shownat Fig. 1 with layers of sulphurin its ordinary hard condition 0n When the casing has thus been set u n the bottom the heating element 7 will be ower'ed to the bottom andpassed downwardly in the both the outer and inner walls ofthe casing.

to a position Vnear the bottom -of m0 will be of higher specific the casing and then the element will be energized so as to heat up' the sulphur in the casing to a temperature above the melting point of sulphur. If there is liquid in the Well, ordin'aril the static pressure of the liquid at that epth will be sufficient to prevent the vvaporization of any water present. If this weight is not suliicient it will, of course, be necessary to apply pressure upon the liquid in the well suiicient to prevent the vaporization ofthe liquid about the sulphur. When the sulphur has been thus melted', it ravity than the liquid in the well and will ow into position as shown at 10 filling the lower end of the well enclosing the space about the lower end of the casing. When the melting of the sulphur has been accomplished, the heating element may be withdrawn and the well will be y .lower end of the casing is closed we will provide sufficient sulphur on the outer wall alone cemented as shown in Fig. 3. Where the to suitably cement the pipe. Also, it will be obvious that any desired heating means may be employed.

It is customary after the well -has been cemented to introduce a drill bit and remove' position in the well, heatinr said charge to reduce the same to a li ui state .and thus causing it to flow to the ottom of the well.

2. A method of cementing Well casing consisting of coatin the lower end of the said casing with sulp ur forming a thick llayer on the inner surface thereof setting the casmg in' the well, introducing a heating element to the lower end of the casing to heat and melt said sulphur and causing it to Vflow to the lower end of the well by gravity.

3. A method of cementing a casing ina deep well comprising coating said casing end of theA casing. This will be done in carrying out our invention as if it is found that production has been reached, the well may be allowed to stand. If, however, a dry hole is encountered or production in nsuicient quantities is obtained, the casing may .be loosened by `heating the sulphur at the .lower end thereof-so as to melt the same,

allowing the casing to be withdrawn.

- It is, of course, to be understood that the .sulphur may be introduced intoy position in its powdered form after the casing has been set on the bottom. This may b e accomplished in the manner that ordinary cement is placed ,in position. After the bottom of the well has been lilled with sulphur in that manner,

it may be melted to cement the casing in an obvious manner.. We contemplate the use of sulphur as a cement, said. sulphur being melted at thelower end of the Well whether `the sulphur is on the casingwhen it is intro- .duced into the well or whether the sulphur is introduced after the casing is in position. v

Furthermore, we do not wish to be confined invention.

'What we claim as new is:

1. A method of cementing well casing consisting of coatin the lower end of the ,casing V-onV theY inner sur ace thereof with a charge of cementitious material hard at atmospheric temperatures, introducing the casingintc 

